Rent in California
The median 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent in California is $2,255/mo, ranking #2 out of 51 states for highest rent. This is $1,005 above the national median of $1,250/mo. California has a population of 39.2M. About 44.2% of households rent their homes. Fair Market Rent data covers 30 areas across the state.
Highlights
All 30 Areas in California
| Area | Studio | 1BR | 2BR | 3BR | Burden | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville Pop. 266K | $3,179 | $3,298 | $4,214 | $5,377 | 46.3% | +3.9% |
| San Francisco Pop. 4.7M | $2,485 | $2,977 | $3,604 | $4,604 | 32.3% | +7.3% |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara Pop. 2.0M | $2,621 | $2,982 | $3,483 | $4,602 | 26.5% | +11.2% |
| Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine Pop. 13.0M | $2,682 | $2,746 | $3,236 | $4,393 | 41.5% | +16.3% |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara Pop. 444K | $2,459 | $2,746 | $3,124 | $4,075 | 39.1% | +4.3% |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad Pop. 3.3M | $2,288 | $2,459 | $3,001 | $3,998 | 35.2% | - |
| Oakland-Fremont Pop. 4.7M | $2,142 | $2,385 | $2,912 | $3,724 | 26.1% | +12.4% |
| San Benito County Pop. 66K | $2,205 | $2,212 | $2,902 | $3,944 | 32.2% | +15.2% |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma Pop. 486K | $1,949 | $2,155 | $2,827 | $3,887 | 33% | - |
| Napa Pop. 136K | $1,912 | $2,113 | $2,773 | $3,532 | 30.5% | +3.3% |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura Pop. 838K | $1,998 | $2,250 | $2,693 | $3,652 | 30.1% | +11.6% |
| Salinas Pop. 436K | $2,173 | $2,232 | $2,684 | $3,623 | 34.1% | -6.8% |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale Pop. 13.0M | $1,863 | $2,085 | $2,601 | $3,298 | 33.4% | +2.2% |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles Pop. 281K | $1,732 | $1,914 | $2,512 | $3,370 | 32.3% | - |
| Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade Pop. 2.4M | $1,748 | $1,832 | $2,255 | $3,002 | 28.8% | +8.8% |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario Pop. 4.6M | $1,692 | $1,777 | $2,201 | $2,912 | 30.7% | +9.5% |
| Vallejo Pop. 451K | $1,567 | $1,705 | $2,178 | $2,911 | 26.1% | - |
| Yolo Pop. 2.4M | $1,604 | $1,615 | $2,104 | $2,917 | 26.9% | +6.3% |
| Modesto Pop. 552K | $1,255 | $1,356 | $1,758 | $2,442 | 26.5% | +15.1% |
| Stockton-Lodi Pop. 787K | $1,288 | $1,395 | $1,742 | $2,423 | 23.6% | +8.4% |
| Fresno Pop. 1.2M | $1,347 | $1,355 | $1,664 | $2,314 | 27.8% | +15.3% |
| Chico Pop. 209K | $1,155 | $1,270 | $1,625 | $2,260 | 28.4% | +13.8% |
| Redding Pop. 182K | $1,172 | $1,212 | $1,590 | $2,211 | 26.5% | +6.9% |
| Yuba City Pop. 182K | $1,166 | $1,272 | $1,550 | $2,156 | 24.9% | +6.1% |
| Merced Pop. 286K | $1,116 | $1,213 | $1,503 | $2,067 | 27.7% | +5.8% |
| Bakersfield-Delano Pop. 910K | $1,132 | $1,140 | $1,483 | $2,062 | 26.3% | - |
| Visalia Pop. 476K | $1,116 | $1,123 | $1,474 | $2,028 | 25.5% | - |
| Hanford-Corcoran Pop. 153K | $1,150 | $1,157 | $1,469 | $2,043 | 25.6% | +7.1% |
| Madera County Pop. 1.2M | $1,055 | $1,062 | $1,376 | $1,914 | 23% | - |
| El Centro Pop. 179K | $939 | $1,038 | $1,362 | $1,845 | 29% | +5.9% |
Frequently Asked Questions
The median 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent across California is $2,255 per month. Rents range from $1,362/mo in El Centro to $4,214/mo in Santa Cruz-Watsonville. The actual median gross rent statewide is $1,956/mo according to Census data.
California ranks #2 out of 51 states for highest median Fair Market Rent. The state median 2BR FMR of $2,255/mo is $1,005 above the national median of $1,250/mo.
The average rent burden across California is 30%, meaning a typical household would spend 30% of income on a 2-bedroom at Fair Market Rent. 13 of 30 areas exceed HUD's 30% cost-burden threshold. The statewide median household income is $96,334.
The most affordable area in California is El Centro with a 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent of $1,362/mo. The median household income there is $56,393.
The most expensive area in California is Santa Cruz-Watsonville with a 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent of $4,214/mo. The median household income there is $109,266.
Fair Market Rents represent the 40th percentile of gross rents for standard-quality rental units. State-level income and demographic data comes from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year estimates. Rent burden is calculated as annual 2BR FMR divided by area median household income.